


Penny and Dime

by peanutbutter4lyfe



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Frank opens up, Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, It might not actually get better, M/M, Matt is there for him, Sorry Not Sorry, Spoilers for Season 2 Episode 4, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:36:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6448504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peanutbutter4lyfe/pseuds/peanutbutter4lyfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on Episode 4 of Season 2 where Frank has been captured by the Irish and they plan on torturing him until he gives up the location of their money. Frank has other ideas. Daredevil steps in and ends up helping Frank escape. Once safe in a graveyard Frank bares his soul, which leads to Matt attempting to comfort him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Penny and Dime

**Author's Note:**

> FYI I do not own these characters or any Episode 4 storyline. 
> 
> I just loved this scene so much and had my own little headcanon I wanted to share :)
> 
> Also... unbeta'd

Matt walked among the dead Irish, tilting his head as he moved to get a read on the numbers. There were many bodies. A small sound caught his attention, he turned from the scene in front of him and flared out his senses. He immediately heard a faint heartbeat and a grunting sound. Someone was struggling with the effort to move.

He moved swiftly in the direction of the noise and stormed over to the man who was dragging himself along the ground. With a well-honed and practiced motion Matt pushed the man’s arm to one side as two shots were fired in quick succession. He gripped the man’s hand tightly and pushed his thumb down into his wrist, he could snap it easily with small one movement.

‘’Who did this?’’

He bent the man’s hand further until he spoke.

‘’The one they call Punisher,’’ he practically spat the last word. 

The name sounded all wrong to his ears. Punisher did not do Frank Castle justice, but he guessed he took on the name of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil. So who was he to judge, but he still preferred Frank.

Matt couldn’t help but think that the carnage was impressive for one man. He took a deep breath and inhaled the faint smell that he had come to recognise and associated with Frank, along with a lingering sickly sweet scent, Frank had been drugged. 

He didn’t agree with his methods but he was developing a respect for Frank and he kept telling himself it was that respect that had his heart racing with urgency. He felt an almost desperate need to find him, worried what the Irish had planned for him. 

Maybe he was already dead. He stamped down on that thought quickly and twisted the wrist of the man at his mercy as he spoke.

‘’Where is he?’’

‘’It doesn't matter,’’ the Irishman laughed, ‘’because when we are done with him he’s as good as dead.’’

Matt was losing patience.

‘’That’s helpful,’’ the sarcasm dripped from his tongue, ‘’but it’s not what I asked.’’

He pushed on the hand in his death grip until he heard a crack and felt bone crushing under his fingers. He needed the man to talk, he needed to find Frank.

-

Frank felt the tight bite of duct tape binding his arms together behind his back and holding his legs in place against the chair. The last thing he remembered was taking a fair few Tasers to the chest and abdomen, it had felt like he was having a heart attack with the amount of electricity shooting through him. 

He had tried to remain standing, to fight, but his muscles shuddering with shockwaves and the drugs taking effect were just too much. He went down with a thick Irish accent ringing in his ears as he faded out.

‘’You seem like a smart one.’’ 

Frank didn’t struggle in the chair, he was patient and gave the drugs time to wear off completely while he waited for his moment. The Irish were doing everything he had hoped and planned for. He just needed to get the crazy son of a bitch, who seemed to be leading them now, on his own.

He took numerous punches to the stomach and face, he felt bones jar and pop under the onslaught. He tasted the coppery tang of blood in his mouth and felt the trickle of more blood running down his face. He leaned to one side and sprayed blood onto the floor as he spat. 

Frank felt no pain though, it was expertly blocked out, and his mind was entirely focused on his plan. The rattle of pills in a plastic bottle brought his thoughts back to the present. The shaking sound filled the room and jarred his aching head. They were offered to him, he declined.

‘’Helps calm me nerves.’’

‘’I look nervous ta you?’’ His voice was hoarse as he spoke for the first time.

While the Irish guy fumed in front of him Frank took the opportunity to scope out the room. One entrance was to his right, he was unable to see where it led. Another in front and slightly to the left. He could hear more men out there. He mentally calculated two that were in the room with the Irish guy plus there must have been at least 5 more outside.

‘’Boys, give us a moment.’’

A chair was loudly pulled up in front of him. More punches connected and that thick accent babbled on about revenge, like he had any idea what Frank had been through or what he was about.

They exchanged meaningless words about money. It made Frank’s blood boil that this maggot of a man cared more for his precious money than he did about the death of his own son. He wanted to break free already and slit the man’s throat right then and there, but instead Frank bided his time and waited for the perfect moment.

He took each punch with increasingly exaggerated heavy breaths and allowed blood to spill from his mouth to add to the effect.

‘’Okay, I’ll tell ya… I’ll tell ya where yer money is.’’

The Irish guy eagerly leaned forward, playing directly into Frank’s hands.

He couldn’t help himself when the opportunity arose to crack his head against the other man’s face. He felt a crack and crunch as his forehead connected. He got a pleasant satisfaction from the raised, bloody ridge that had formed on the brute’s nose. He knew he would pay for that later but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

‘’How’d that feel?’’ Frank said with a smirk and he began to laugh. 

His blood stained grin must have made him look crazed.

‘’Hold him down boys.’’

More fists came at him and a drill this time. The drill boring into his foot tore screams from Frank, but he remained focused. He could take anything if it meant avenging his family. Nothing else mattered anymore, he was nothing without them. 

‘’Alright boys, new plan. Bring him in.’’ 

What he didn’t expect was for the Irish thugs to bring out the dog he had previously rescued from them. 

‘’If I don’t get my money, I’ll do everything I’ve done to you to poor Fido here.’’

The dog had become his only companion in all of this and he hadn’t quite realised how much the mutt meant to him until the drill that was used on him was being aimed at its innocent head. Frank's heart sank, he couldn’t watch him die. 

He gave up the location of the money, no more playing around, and vowed to himself to kill everyone who had laid a hand on that dog as he watched it being led away. 

He wished he could have been there when they found the money and saw the looks on their faces just before the bomb went off. That split second of realisation before they were blown to pieces. He just had to make do with the reaction he could see unfolding in front of him.

Frank smirked to himself as he began to pick at the makeshift stitches on his lower arm, rummaging and digging into his flesh to free the razor blade he had buried there beneath the skin, while the Irish guy was distracted on the phone. 

-

Matt took out the guards he came across with ease and dismantled their guns as he worked. He may have hit them harder and more than necessary, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. He was fuelled by a strange frantic urgency that he didn’t want to look too closely at.

He had fought Frank many times now and felt quite in tune with him. Matt was able to pick up his individual heartbeat easily, it was reassuringly steady and getting stronger as the drugs wore off. 

He continued to make his way through the compound, closer to Frank, coming across and immobilizing guards as he went. Once he had dealt with each guard he sent his senses back out to lock onto Frank, trying to get an idea of what shape he was in. 

He could tell Frank was strapped to a chair, the squeak of the duct tape was unmistakeable. He also heard every punch, almost feeling the impact of each one. Matt was in awe of Frank’s resolve and self-control. Not once did his heartbeat change or miss a beat. 

He paused and rested his back against a wall when he heard the drill. He knew what was coming and wished Frank would just tell them what they wanted to know. He heard Frank shouting and raging, proclaiming he would kill them all. Matt had to smile at that, even in the face of torture he was on the attack. Matt had no doubt he was still incredibly dangerous, even tied to that chair.

Frank was being held down by two men. Matt had to remind himself to breathe. His own heart was pounding out an ever more frantic rhythm in his chest when Frank’s remained the same.

When the drill went in Frank screamed, Matt screamed too. 

Matt pushed himself from the wall and tried to block Frank’s screams from his mind. He rushed forward, stopping another three guards from shooting him. He moved with renewed urgency in Frank’s direction.

He froze in place when he heard Frank’s heart skip a beat and began to thud in his chest. Matt tilted his head and listened closely to what was unfolding in that room. What on earth could they have done to break Frank’s control?

Then he heard the whimpering of a dog and Frank struggling to get his words out. Matt’s heart melted. All of the punches and torture he had taken and not a single beat out of place, yet it was a dog that had Frank’s heart rate increase with fear. 

He heard Frank give up the location of the money, which he figured must be the reason he was tied to a chair. He knew the instant the dog was safe, Frank’s heart rate returned to that usual steady beat. Matt let out a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding and continued through the maze of corridors. He was getting closer. 

-

Frank knew the instant the truck blew by the reaction from the man on the phone in front of him. He took the opportunity to free his arms, cutting through the duct tape with the slippery razor blade. The blood made it difficult to grip, but he was determined.

‘’Son of a bitch!’’

A gun was pulled, but his hands were free and he easily avoided the shots fired and disarmed the guy. With precision he fired twice into the Irish boss’ back, not aiming to kill but to immobilise. He whirled and shot again into the head of the guy he had just disarmed.

Frank released his legs from the duct tape and found a much larger gun on the table that had been next to him. He cocked it and without looking fired a kill shot at a guy coming at him from the right hand entrance. 

His focus was on the Irish boss sliding himself along the floor in front of him, who was repeatedly shouting for backup that didn't seem to be coming. He didn’t care who came, he would kill them all. 

Frank raised the gun and aimed it at the man’s face.

‘’Who was there that day? Who killed my family?’’ 

‘’Your family? Who cares.’’

Frank heard more men coming, he didn’t have time for this shit. He shot the Irish boss in the face, blowing it to pieces without a second thought. 

The men piled through the door. He shot to kill, but took a bullet himself. He saw a large wooden door that he realised was the lid to a coffin, how ironic, and crouched behind it. 

‘’One batch, two batch, penny and dime,’’ Frank whispered to himself as he prepared to attack.

He readied himself, trying to get his broken bones and bleeding body to move. He heard it then, the crack of a fist connecting with bone. Another succession of punches and bodies crumpling to the floor. 

Red.

Frank heaved himself to his feet and pushed the door from him in one rather more fluid motion than he thought he was capable of in his current condition. He found himself face to face with the man they called Daredevil. He preferred Red, he just didn’t like Daredevil. It didn’t do the guy justice, but he wasn’t entirely sure why he cared so much.

They had fought often and he expected another round so he planted his feet and brought his arms up in anticipation. He had started to enjoy their tussles, Red tested him and pushed his limits. He liked that. It never seemed like life or death when they fought, even when he took a shot at the guy's head he aimed for a ricochet more than a clean hit.

Red hadn’t moved, he just stood there as if he was waiting to see what Frank’s next move would be. He let his muscles relax a little. Red was either with him or he wasn’t. This wasn’t where his fight was tonight.

‘’They’re gonna pay. Every single Goddamn one of ‘em.’’

He felt Red release a breath and saw him nod before speaking for the first time.

‘’...but not tonight, move.’’

Frank felt a strange tingling sensation run through his body when he heard that voice. He hadn’t realised that he had been waiting for it. Waiting for Red to say something or do something. He felt briefly confused by his reaction.

Then he heard more of the Irish coming so he quickly put all of his swirling thoughts and emotions to one side and readied his broken body for the next onslaught. Only this time he had Red fighting with him, not against him. If he had anything of a heart left he was sure it fluttered a little right then.

-

Matt was finally at the entrance to the room he knew Frank had been held in. His heartbeat was slower than it had been, telling him that Frank had been hit and was losing blood. He could smell blood and carnage as he took down the last few guards and entered the room.

Seeing Frank took his breath away, he looked awful. Bloody, battered and bruised. It took a lot of self-control not to move to his side and support him. He didn’t think Frank would appreciate that. He also wasn’t sure if Frank was going to attack him, he had taken a defensive stance and seemed ready to strike at any moment.

Matt stood his ground, but didn’t move or say anything. He just waited to see what Frank wanted to do here.

When Frank spoke he knew then, they would work together tonight. He felt a jolt of excitement run through him at the thought, but quickly stamped it down. This wasn’t the time or place for silly distractions. He heard more men coming.

He turned and took the brunt of them while Frank took cover and got the rest with the element of surprise. Of course Frank would pull a gun. Matt quickly disarmed him with his throwing stick, much to Frank’s dismay. 

The room finally fell silent as the last of the men were knocked out. As he finished off the last guy has was aware of Frank pulling a hammer from a table. He turned and grabbed the hammer before Frank could complete his swing. 

‘’No killing.’’

Matt wanted to work with Frank, wanted for some desperate reason to help the man, but he wouldn’t allow any more deaths at his hands if he could help it.

‘’Alter boy.’’

Matt could practically see the smirk as Frank spoke before he brought his fist expertly into the face of the Irish guy on the floor for good measure. Matt thought he could easily kill someone with that punch, he didn’t need a hammer or weapon. 

Frank swayed as he stood and instinctively Matt was at his side supporting his weight. He felt Frank tense before he slowly began to relax. It felt like a win for Matt.

He could feel the thud of Frank’s reassuringly steady pulse through his body and the strength of his muscles as he held on to Matt. They needed to get out of there, he needed to get Frank somewhere safe. He needed to focus, but was finding it very difficult with Frank’s warm body pressed so close to him.

What was going on with him? He was acting like some kind of desperate teen who couldn’t control himself. Plus, this was Frank Castle at his side causing those odd sensations. Not someone he should probably be having those kinds of feelings about. He shook his head and grabbed tighter before making his way out of the maze of a building.

-

Matt rested Frank against a gravestone as gently as he could before he crouched and took in a few welcome deep breaths. The man was heavy.

‘’Hey, not bad,’’ Frank said with a bloody smile.

‘’Thanks,’’ was all Matt could manage, he wasn’t expecting gratitude. 

‘’I guess I was wrong,’’ Frank conceded.

Matt’s heart leapt into his throat. This certainly wasn’t what he was expecting. He stamped down on those strange feelings that were surfacing again and focused on the worry he was beginning to feel. Frank sounded defeated and he didn’t like that one bit.

‘’About what?’’

‘’About you being a pussy.’’

Matt smiled at that, that was more like Frank Castle.

‘’Hey, don’t get sweet on me now Frank.’’ 

The words came out before he could stop them and he hoped they sounded jovial rather than wishful. He was giving too much away. He decided to change the subject, something safe.

‘’...that rhyme, what’s it mean?’’

‘’What d’you say?’’ Frank said in barely a whisper.

Matt’s heart sank. This was clearly not a safe subject. He considered for a moment whether to continue, but it was something he was genuinely curious about. It wasn’t the first time he had heard Frank say those words and when he said them Matt could feel the intense emotions attached to them. Nothing else Frank said or did held that much emotion.

‘’That thing you say before you pull the trigger.’’

‘’You heard that?’’ 

If Matt wasn’t mistaken he could swear there was awe in Frank’s voice when he said that, as well as a sadness he didn’t like being the cause of.

‘’Yeah I heard it.’’

‘’I gotta say, sometimes I think you may just be the devil.’’

‘’Sometimes think I might be too.’’

Matt settled onto the floor in front of Frank. This was a rare opportunity. Frank was talking, they weren’t fighting or shouting at each other. It felt peaceful and somehow intimate. 

‘’One batch, two batch, penny and dime… it was her favourite book,’’ again Frank spoke in a whisper.

Matt could hear him clearly with his sensitive hearing, but he could tell this was difficult for Frank to talk about. He was aware again of that deep respect for the man as he told Matt about his life as a soldier, a father and a husband. The tiredness he felt on his return to reality after the war. It was a tiredness Matt could relate to. 

Matt found himself moving closer to Frank as he spoke. Frank’s voice broke on occasion and Matt felt his heart break in turn a little more each time it happened. He could tell Frank was holding back tears, barely holding it together as he told his story. Matt wanted to reach out, place a hand on his knee, to comfort him somehow.

-

Frank had no idea why he was suddenly telling all of this to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, but once he had started he just couldn’t stop. The words flowed from his mouth, some harder to get out than others. It felt like he was reliving every moment as he spoke. 

All the rage and anger he had felt was being replaced with the deepest, most painful sadness. Red was listening and, if he was reading him right, it felt as though he wanted to comfort him. Frank wanted to laugh at that, The Punisher being comforted, but he secretly wanted it. Wanted Red to reach out, wanted to be held.

He would never ask for that, or probably even accept it, instead he carried on with his story. He struggled through the words, he told Red about holding his daughter’s lifeless body in his arms, about how he could see the meat spill out from the place where her face used to be. 

He tried so hard to hold back the tears. All the rage that had been holding back those tears was slowly seeping away along with his physical strength. He tried desperately to hold it back because he knew that if he started he wouldn’t stop. 

He came to the end of his story. Red had gradually moved closer and closer, seemingly enthralled and moved by what he had been saying. He wanted to reach out, to thread his fingers through Red’s and just pull him close. He wanted to be held and he knew then, he knew he was finished.

‘’I think I’m done, Red,’’ Frank vocalised his thoughts and then whispered, ‘’I think I’m done.’’

-

Matt felt like his heart shattered into a thousand tiny little pieces at those words. Frank Castle couldn’t give up.

Without thinking he moved then, closing the remaining space between them and practically lunged himself at Frank. He gripped his shoulders and pulled him close. He was leaning awkwardly on one knee while he brought Frank’s head to his chest.

He felt Frank turn to jelly in his arms and let out a long breath before leaning into his embrace. Even that hit Matt hard. He expected resistance, a struggle or some kind of fight, but there was none. Matt closed his eyes and just held Frank tighter.

Matt could feel the tidal wave of emotions spiralling inside of Frank. A strangled sob escaped him, then it came, the struggle. He tried to push Matt away, but was met with a solid strength holding him in place. Matt took weak punches to the chest and stomach. 

Matt straddled Frank and increased the strength of his hold. Frank brought his hands up to Matt’s neck and gripped tightly, limiting Matt’s breathing. 

‘’Frank…’’ Matt managed to get out.

Frank seemed uncaring as he tightened his grip. Matt brought his hands up to Frank’s face with the aim of pushing him away but his fingers momentarily stilled when he felt tears were streaming down his face, mapping out pathways through the blood and dirt. 

He got it, Frank was struggling to cope with the intensity of the emotions he was feeling, but Matt could barely breathe.

‘’Frank… please.’’

Frank loosened his grip, air rushed into Matt’s lungs. He felt light headed and disoriented as he felt fingers slide from his throat into his hair and grip tightly again. The pain was short lived as he was pulled down and into a crushing kiss. He thought he felt light headed before but this sent his head spinning.

Frank was brutal, crashing their mouths together and pressing his tongue to Matt’s lips to try and gain entrance. Matt let him in willingly, their tongues instantly tangling. Matt’s brain began to catch up with what was going on. He ran his hands down the sides of Frank’s face and held him tightly, matching Frank’s eagerness and intensity. 

They battled and fought with their tongues, with as much strength and power as they did with their fists. Matt was getting lost in sensation until Frank let out a strangled sound, which seemed to be a combination of a moan and a cry. Matt tried to pull back, realising Frank still had tears streaming down his face, but Frank just tightened his grip in Matt’s hair. 

Grunting, Frank moved his hands from Matt’s hair to his hips and pulled him closer. Matt could feel that Frank was hard, and so was he. Their erections rubbed together through their clothing. Matt threw his head back, it felt so good, but this wasn’t right. Not like this, not with Frank breaking down with tears rolling down his cheeks. It was wrong, it felt all wrong. 

Matt tried to regain some semblance of control before this went too far and Frank did something he would regret. He used all of his strength and pushed hard, away from Frank, he fell back just managing to support his landing with his elbows.

They were both breathing heavily, their arousal clearly evident straining against their clothes, plain to see. 

Frank growled low in his throat then said, ‘’I really hate you sometimes, Red.’’

‘’Yeah, I know,’’ Matt sighed.

This was for the best, but Matt was struggling not to just pounce right back on Frank and finish what he started. His body was throbbing and humming with need.

‘’You want this.’’

Matt could tell Frank was looking right at his hard length that was straining to burst free of his rather restrictive suit. He couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed though because he could feel the adrenaline and arousal coursing through Frank’s body. He must be just as uncomfortable in his combat trousers. 

‘’Not like this, Frank, not like this.’’

Frank, breathing heavily still, rested his head back against the gravestone and closed his eyes.

‘’I am the monster everyone calls me.’’

‘’No,’’ Matt said without hesitation, ‘’Frank, you are not a monster. I’ve seen plenty to know the difference.’’

Matt just couldn’t take the defeat he was feeling coming from Frank in waves. He pushed himself back up and moved back onto Frank’s lap. This was purely for comfort, Matt kept telling himself. He reached out his hand and with his thumbs he wiped away the last few stray tears, letting his hands linger a moment too long.

‘’Don’t, just don’t,’’ Frank grimaced and tried to pull away, ‘’pity ain’t what I need.’’

Matt ignored his words and continued to caress his face. His fists had connected with that face many times, but it never gave him a proper read on what Frank really looked like. He heard Frank’s heart picking up speed again and he liked that he could have an effect on him like this. 

He took his time mapping out all of Frank’s features, every scar and fresh cut. His fingers brushed over closed eyes then down to rough stubble and he noted how different this felt to touching a woman’s face. There was nothing smooth or soft about Frank Castle. He wondered how long it had been for Frank since someone had touched him so tenderly. 

Just as he realised it must have been his wife he felt Frank tense underneath him. 

‘’I said don’t.’’ 

Frank's words didn’t sound like he meant them but he quickly followed it up with a punch that connected with Matt’s jaw. Matt had readied himself, expecting it, but allowed the punch to connect. If this was what Frank needed, Matt resolved that he would willingly give it to him.

He fell back again under the impact, this time though Frank followed him, swapping places and straddling him. He leaned his weight on Matt before he started punching, one after the other into Matt’s face. The punches were not delivered with his full strength but he still felt each one like a sledgehammer hitting him.

Frank punched until his arms ached and when he looked down at the bloody mess he had made of Matt’s face he let out a strangled cry and shouted.

‘’Arghhh!’’

“It’s okay, Frank,’’ Matt’s words gurgled from his bloody mouth.

Matt turned his head and spat out the blood. He reached up with both hands and caressed Frank's face again. He wasn’t willing to give up on giving this man what he needed, wasn’t willing to stop trying to comfort him. He struggled into a sitting position and brought Frank’s face back to his.

Frank let himself be moved into the kiss willingly. It was much more gentle and tender this time. The blood from Matt’s wounds mixed with the coppery taste of Frank’s own blood from his earlier injuries. 

Things started quickly heating up between them again. Frank started rocking his hips and Matt wasn’t sure if he was even aware he was doing it, but it felt good so he didn’t stop him. Instead he brought his hands to his shoulders for support. Frank wrapped his strong arms around Matt and held him closer as they kissed and moved together.

The sound of sirens brought them both crashing back down to reality. 

Frank pulled back first, breathless. He pushed away and leant back against the gravestone once more, turning his head away.

‘’You should go.’’

‘’Frank…’’ Matt couldn’t breathe, he didn’t want it to end this way.

‘’I said go,’’ Frank’s words held finality.

Matt stood uncomfortably with a heavy heart and battered face, head lowered. Frank was giving up.

He backed away slowly as the sirens that were in the distance got louder and louder, closer and closer. He wished Frank would look up at him. Matt was willing him to turn his head back towards him, just once.

‘’Get your hands up!’’

A gun was aimed at Frank, but he didn’t move or put up a fight. 

Matt turned away with raised hands and a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want this to be the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Be warned people... I am trying to do little oneshots but a long slow burn is building. If things go quiet you know where my head has gone!


End file.
